Video Girl
by Light'by'day
Summary: A.U...Still trying to get over pushing Mamoru into the arms of his betrothed, Usagi is desperately praying for a distraction. Little did she know that distraction would come in many forms, including international stardom, the prospect of a lovechild...
1. Summary

_Video Girl_

_Full Summary:_

_Two months later and still trying to get over pushing Mamoru into the arms of his betrothed, Usagi is desperately praying for a distraction. Little did she know that distraction would come in many forms, including international stardom, the prospect of a lovechild, and the scandal that comes with being in the midst of it all. Will she get everything she wants when lies are told and secrets are revealed? Or will she crack under the pressure and stand to lose it all, even the chance of being back in Mamoru's arms?_

* * *

_Are you interested? If so, please review and let me know! ^^.... There is still a poll on my profile for deciding Mamoru's fiance' , so far Beryl is in the lead. As soon as I post the prologue, I'll take the poll down._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have the prologue coming up soon. Please read 'Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart' before reading 'Video Girl' ...it acts as the prequel to this story.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Thanks guys! Also (**shameless plug**) please check out my new thing - 'Side Items: You Want Fries with That?'- a collection of short stories and drabbles with Sere/Dare and Senshi/ Shitennou. Well so far, there's only one chapter, but I'll try to add another one tonight or tomorrow. Beware!--(bad language and guy humor prevails in the first one)...._

_Hugs and Kisses,_

_~*~*~L.b.D.*~*~*~_


	2. Chapter 1

_Video Girl_

_Full Summary:_

_Two months later and still trying to get over pushing Mamoru into the arms of his betrothed, Usagi is desperately praying for a distraction. Little did she know that distraction would come in many forms, including international stardom, the prospect of a lovechild, and the scandal that comes with being in the midst of it all. Will she get everything she wants when lies are told and secrets are revealed? Or will she crack under the pressure and stand to lose it all, even the chance of being back in Mamoru's arms?_

* * *

Sleep didn't come easy last night, which is the only reason Usagi found herself wandering the partially deserted streets of Tokyo at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The autumn air was cool and crisp as it blew, nearly penetrating the thin fabric that clung to her curves that wasn't covered by an oversized cotton pullover. Shivering, she tightened the hold on her hoodie and placed the hood over her head, partially to block out the cold, but mostly to hide her puffy eyes from view. She sighed as she took notice of the gloomy sky. Gray, cold, and bitter- it seems the day was coinciding with her mood.

Looking to the melancholy horizon, she pleaded inaudibly for comfort. "Kami-sama _please_, help me to get over him…..I made the right choice didn't I? But if it was right, why does it hurt so _much_?" She sniffled as tears stung at her eyes and blurred her vision. She didn't bother to blink them away; what was the use anyway? Every time she closed her eyes, his face automatically appeared, reminding her of what she would never have. Her chest heaved with the thought, and tears that brimmed now flowed stubbornly down her porcelain face. Irritated at her weakness, she wiped away the few tears that strayed, and sighed deeply in an effort to compose herself and her wayward emotions.

'_Okay, Usagi...think. It's been a little over two months, and Mamoru is probably well on his way to wedded bliss …' _She grimaced slightly as the thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She sighed again, wishing she could talk to someone about the situation with Mamoru. Her friends had no idea of what transpired between the two of them, but they had noticed Usagi's personality was not as bright since Mamoru's departure. Even so, none of them had any knowledge of the pain she was currently experiencing; the loneliness that attempted to swallow her heart whole. They all chalked up her personality changes to the possible withdrawal symptoms of losing her favorite sparring partner…jokingly of course; since Usagi hated Mamoru anyhow, they figured she would be okay soon. Laughing along with their jokes with a mask of indifference, she would insist she was fine, and would only admit to a little sadness concerning Mamoru without giving too much away. _'Maybe I should tell them…at least I won't have to bear the burden of my heartache alone…but what if they hate me for it? How will Rei feel?' _she thought with a growing worry. In her moments of desperation, she had forgotten all about Rei's crush on Mamoru. She would have to keep it to herself for the time being…maybe it would remain a secret forever. She had already given up Mamoru; there was no way she could handle the possibility of her friends leaving her life. _' No._' she made up in her mind, _'They'll never know how I feel...'_

Truthfully, Usagi felt utterly lost without him. In the weeks after he left, she lethargically went about her day-to-day activities like a ghost, slowly becoming a hollow shell of her former self. She scarcely laughed or smiled anymore; on the rare occasions she did - it seemed to be lacking the authenticity she was known for. Her time was spent indoors away from everyone and everything; only occasionally shifting to locking herself in a dance studio in a weak attempt to forget her troubles.

University classes she had once been excited about had gone unattended and the work undone. Surely, her parents would find out, but with her heart and mind expended by heartache, school was the last thing on her mind.

Lost in her thoughts of pity and remorse, she paid no mind to her surroundings until a tall figure bumped into her, making her fall onto the city sidewalk.

"Ah! Gomen! Are you okay?" the tall figure asked, taking off his dark sunglasses to assess if any damage had occurred.

Grumbling about how this always seemed to happen to her, she got up and dusted off her hands, not really paying attention to the gentleman who was apologizing.

"I'm okay." She responded half-heartedly, trying to place her fallen hood back over her head.

"Are you sure? That looked like it hurt." The figure countered with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"No, really. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine." Usagi stated dryly and looked up in annoyance at the smugness of the stranger, only to have her breath caught in her throat.

"Mamo-chan?" she whispered before she could stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She blinked once, twice, three times more; trying to clear the hallucination in front of her._ 'His eyes…just like Mamo-chan's…his hair…way too long to be Mamo-chan…but still…._' The similarities between her beloved and this stranger were unnerving. It was bad enough that she saw him in her dreams and in her every waking thoughts, but now…._now_…this was getting a tad unsettling for her own tastes. _'Get a grip, Usagi!'_ She shuddered as she suppressed the emotions that were trying to take control.

Apparently, he hadn't heard her little slip of insanity for he was too busy falling into the depths of her clear blue eyes. His eyes followed the gentle curve of her face and her slender neck. Gulping slightly, he let his eye roam discreetly over the rest of her body. He couldn't make out much from the way the oversized hoodie swallowed the upper part of her body, but if the girl's shapely legs were any indication; he knew that she was hot. Gathering his wits with a barely hidden smirk, he prodded. "Well, now that I know you're okay; let me tell you that it's really not safe to walk without paying attention to where you're going. Although, I must say, your eagerness to bump into someone like me is quite understandable."

Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. Even the arrogance of the two men seemed to be of the same caliber! And that was no small feat; Mamoru was arguably the most arrogant person she had ever met. Her shock was quickly replaced by something she hadn't felt in a long while- outrage. She may have been in love with Mamo-chan from the start, but even _he_ didn't get away with speaking to her with such superiority. Who was this _stranger_ to think that he could?

"What? You were the one who bumped into me! You obviously weren't paying attention to where you were going!" she pointed at him, daring him to argue against her.

Instead, the stranger placed his shades back over the blue orbs Usagi almost lost the last shred of her sanity against, and counteracted in a calm tone, "You're strange."

Usagi's mouth gaped open as she gathered all of her frustration and indignation to throw back at the man who dared to insult her. _'I don't have time for this! He's interrupting my wallowing!'_ With a determined mind, she squared her shoulders, fully intent on saying her peace and getting on with the depressing life she was currently living.

All of her bravado was lost as she heard him quip in an almost wistful sigh, "You know, most girls would love to bump into me-"

"Well I'm not most girls!" she yelled, previous tears forgotten with her fists clenching at her sides. As a second thought, she added, "And I'm not strange…granted I'm not even sure _how_ normal I am…but I'm _**not**_ strange! And why would any girl be happy to bump into you? From what I've only known for a few seconds-"

"Why else? I'm cool." He interjected with an air of confidence and proceeded to run a hand through the side of his hair that sucked the oxygen right from Usagi's breath. She mulled over this observation for a few milliseconds before conceding, _'Okay, he's hot. I'll give him that. But he's still a jerk!' _Would fate really be as cruel to stick this...this…Mamo-chan imposter in her path; today of all the days where she thought she would snap at so many reminders of him? She quickly decided that fate would, because Murphy's Law was _the_ law when it came to her life.

Usagi clenched her fists again and muttered, "Of all the low down, rotten, dirty tricks for fate to play on me…" Sliding a hand over her face in frustration, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Look, mister-"

"Seiya." The stranger interrupted her, clearly amused by the small blond who seemed to be a little spitfire.

Usagi ground her teeth in irritation. "_Seiya…._nice meeting you and all, but I really have somewhere I need to be." Straightening out her pullover one last time, she attempted to walk around him, but he grasped her wrist slightly and gave her boyish grin. _'Apparently, the likes of fate and its minion isn't done tormenting me',_ she thought with disdain, before she yanked her wrist away and began to walk off. Only a mere two paces away, he called out in a slightly teasing tone, "_Odango_…"

Usagi froze mid-step as she heard the nickname she once loathed as it dripped in self-satisfaction from the lips of her new tormentor. So many memories came rushing through her mind; it made her head spin. The first time she had ever met Mamoru; all of the petty bickering he had started with her just by calling her that name and the underlying affection that came with the nickname…she didn't know whether to cry or laugh about it all. Feeling on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she did both. Her quiet laughs turned to sniffles as her tears found their welcomed path down her face.

Usagi's discomfort went unknown to Seiya as he smirked. He wasn't ready for her to leave yet their conversation yet. Getting up at the crack of dawn on a whim to inspire creativity; he never expected to run into such a pretty, spirited girl this morning. Maybe she was exactly what he needed to pick him up out of his creative funk, or at least distract him from the stifling mood. Aside from slightly puffy eyes, she was attractive and amusing- a rare combination in his book. Her quick wit piqued his interest and he wanted to get to know her better…after all, he wasn't used to having a girl disregard him as just a regular guy. He was just about to ask her out for coffee when he heard a soft sniffle escape the girl.

Having seen the change in the blond girl's demeanor, he eased around to face her.

Seiya was aghast at the sight she made. Wasn't the girl okay just a second ago? Surely a cute nickname like _Odango_ wouldn't make her cry, would it? Maybe she really _was_ strange. After all, she didn't even know that she bumped into one of Japan's biggest pop stars. His ego was only slightly bruised because of it, but nothing that couldn't be remedied by glancing in the mirror to assure himself of his status. _'Should I stay to comfort her?'_ he questioned his mind and to which his conscience supplied a clear '_yes.'_ He cringed. He wasn't the best at placating females, especially when they were as hysterical as the Odango seemed to be. His extent of the knowledge was just to say "There, there," give the girl a pat on the back (as not to construe any type of misunderstanding), and send her packing. A cold –hearted, arrogant bastard- at least that's what the groupies all called him as they stormed out of his bed and his life. But this was different…well, for starters she _wasn't_ a groupie- in fact she seemed to hate his guts in the 2.1 minutes she'd known him. That was unheard of! He frowned at this thought, _'I'll just have to change her mind…'_ Urged on by the unidentifiable need to _prove_ himself, Seiya minimized the space between him and the girl currently known as _'Odango'_.

He placed a comforting hand on her small shoulder and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Daijobu desu ka?" Seiya asked, feeling more concerned than he should have felt. Usagi wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve and took a few deep breaths before answering.

"I'm fine…" but even as she answered, he could tell she was lying through her teeth. What could it be that had this beautiful, lively girl so down and out? He gently tipped her chin up with his other hand, looked her deeply in the eyes, and asked her again; but this time in a softer voice, that caught the both of them off guard. "Daijobu desu ka?"

Usagi blinked up at him in stunned confusion, wondering why this stranger was being so compassionate with her. Her bleary vision cleared as she gazed in Seiya's eyes and saw sincerity in his blue depths. She considered telling him that she really was fine, but something in her broke and she became vulnerable.

Her lower lip trembled as she began to speak. Seiya's breathing hitched as he felt a strange pressure around his heart at the sadness the girl seemed to project. Although he had just met her, he felt as if sadness did not suit her. '_Not at all,_' and in that moment he knew that he would do anything within his power to make her smile for him.

* * *

_Hiya guys! Sorry it took me so long to upload this. It's been waiting patiently for little tweaks and edits. I tried to write strictly dramatic situations but somehow the humor kept sneaking in...I guess I should add 'Humor' to the genres..._

_**Special thanks to LunaCrusader for helping me sift through hot J-pop and K-pop singers to contribute to Seiya's character! ^^_

_Anyway, I hope you like it! ^^ Review Please! _

_~*~*~L.b.D.~*~*~_


	3. Chapter 2

*********Happy New Year, all! Please take this chapter as an apology for taking too long to update. I'm going to work on that darn procrastination habit this year ^_^;; I swear it! I hope it doesn't seem rushed. Anyhow, please enjoy!************

_Video Girl_

_Full Summary:_

_Two months later and still trying to get over pushing Mamoru into the arms of his betrothed, Usagi is desperately praying for a distraction. Little did she know that distraction would come in many forms, including international stardom, the prospect of a lovechild, and the scandal that comes with being in the midst of it all. Will she get everything she wants when lies are told and secrets are revealed? Or will she crack under the pressure and stand to lose it all, even the chance of being back in Mamoru's arms?_

* * *

Usagi cupped her hands around the warm mug of her jasmine tea, allowing the sweet scent to metaphorically soothe her open emotional wounds. Although she omitted the sensual details of her secret love affair as well as her beloved's name, in a sense, her weary heart felt somewhat appeased by sharing its affliction.

Taking a glance at the silent raven-haired stranger, she pondered what it was about him that made her feel comfortable enough to spill her soul. Could it have been the comforting, yet familiar aroma of the dark roast coffees of the tranquil café that brought about the feeling of security? His warm concern for her well-being? Perhaps it was the many similarities the stranger shared with the object of her adoration?

Slightly shaking away random thoughts of Mamoru, she decided it was the sheer loneliness that brought her guard tumbling down.

His eyes met hers in a searching queue and she paused her mental questioning; the ease of the navy shaded orbs working a number on her previous havocked nerves. Under his concerned, but prying gaze, she wondered if he would offer judgment of her character or at the very least, advice of some kind.

Unable to hold his stare, she hung her head as a sign of humility. "Please don't judge me…I just…"

"I'm not judging you." And in a comforting motion, his hand reached across the table in a gentle touch. Offering a kind smile he said, "I understand why you did what you did."

She nodded in acceptance, feeling quite grateful for the compassion shown from Seiya, but unable to voice her gratitude. A lump formed in her throat as she was suddenly overwrought with emotion at her inability to even say a simple 'arigato'. She sniffled uncontrollably as the tears ran; growing more upset at her helplessness to remain composed in the presence of the beautiful stranger.

Seiya shifted in his seat anxiously, hoping no one would think he was the cause of those tears. His mind was at a total loss of how to console her. _'Weren't gentle words enough?' _he wondered nervously. In a span of seconds, he thought of everything from buying her a chocolate dipped biscotti to giving her the very expensive designer shirt off his back; _everything_ but the obvious.

Apparently, Usagi's emotions wouldn't wait for him to come to a decision; at that precise moment, a wail unlike anything he'd ever heard pierced through the otherwise relaxed atmosphere.

Trying his best to ignore the glares of disgruntled patrons, who were evidently thinking the young woman's wailing came on account of his actions; he launched himself smoothly onto her side of the booth. He offered an apologetic smile to the onlookers and pet one of Usagi's odango, in a visible attempt to make nice. Some turned away, satisfied at his action; others leered harder prompting him to pull a wailing Usagi into his side to shush her.

He waved off the remaining onlookers then turned his full attention to the now muffled wails of the Odango as she snuggled further into him. He rubbed her back in soothing motions while instantaneously gathering his thoughts to say something, _anything_ to get her to stop crying.

"Ah….,"he began uncomfortably; finding it hard to think clearly with her soft body pressed intimately into his. His lips set in a grim line as he mentally chastised himself for thinking such thoughts about the girl in her obvious vulnerable state.

Meanwhile, Usagi was soaking his shirt with tears, and the other excrements of heartbreak. Deciding that his designer wear and the wailing girl would probably cope much better outside of the café, he suggested, "Maybe we should leave, Odango. "

"Oo-sa-gi." She enunciated between her muffled wails.

Handsome face utterly baffled, he asked, "What's a rabbit got to do with us leaving?"

Her stifled cries ceased quickly as she pulled herself up; her wet, blotchy face sporting the same confused look as her consoler.

Suddenly, an extraordinary smile drifted through her tear streaked expression, causing palpitations within Seiya's chest where he was sure his heart should be. His eyes went wide with the foreign feeling and she giggled at his mystified countenance.

"_I'm_ the rabbit. My name is Usagi. Not…_Odango_." She finished in a whisper; blinding smile turning into one of pity.

Seiya was becoming a quick learner at recognizing her emotions, and as such, he had to resist the urge to pat himself on the back. Words of encouragement and wisdom eased from his mouth without pretense. "No pity smiles allowed," he whispered as he grasped her hands gently. "A beautiful girl shouldn't waste her time wallowing in heartbreak. You know what they say: 'Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

Usagi tilted her head to the side, blushing at his kind words and contemplating the advice. "Do you really think that, Seiya?" Her voice was hopeful as she peered up at him with adorable eyes.

"What? That you're beautiful?" he teased, and she gave him a look that told him she was being serious and was obviously talking about the pithy saying. He cleared his throat, "Well, truthfully…no. But it's what '_they'_ say and whoever '_they'_ may be, must know what they're talking about since it's been around for ages." And for his honesty, he was rewarded with the tinkling laughter he would soon come to associate only with Usagi.

He blinked in surprise, and then allowed himself to chuckle with her, fully enjoying the effect he had on her temperament. He continued as their laughter subsided, "But seriously Usagi, I meant what I said. Life is too short to wallow in heartbreak. And you are entirely too pretty to hang on to all of that sadness."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded in response; clearly understanding his point, but the doubt still lingered.

There was an awkward silence, before he impulsively lifted himself out of the booth, dragging Usagi along with him.

"Hey! Where are you taking me?" Usagi exclaimed, hoping Seiya wasn't some deranged psycho who tricked her into thinking he was a good guy.

They were out the door and onto the city sidewalk before he answered her. By now the sidewalks were flooded with pedestrian traffic, and he had to pull her into a nearby alley to speak without getting the both of them trampled.

He closed in on her, as if he were letting her in on a huge secret.

"Ahh!" she yelped, arms tightening in a protective hold around her body. "You're going to do something erotic to me, aren't you? " She questioned, giving him an accusatory look.

His eyebrows rose in surprise as a light blush stole across his cheeks. True, those erotic thoughts brushed his mind within the first minute of meeting her (and only once again in between), but that wasn't his reason at the moment.

Raising his hands in a calming manner, he assured her, "Look, I promise I'm not trying to do anything erotic to you." He looked away momentarily, trying to curb the thoughts. "I just want to show you how to smile again; distract you from your sadness, that's all. " He offered his hand as she thought over her decision. "Just trust me."

"Why should I?" She asked derisively.

Ironically, that seemed to be the same question flittering through Seiya's thoughts. Hell, he didn't trust his own intentions entirely, but something deeper than sexual involvement blossomed within him from the first moment he spoke to the girl.

Rather than ignore the mysterious emotion, he decided to pursue it and what better way than spend time with the source?

Seiya's eyes roamed over her delicate facial features and noticed the way she turned up a thin brow, obviously skeptical of his intentions, but also weighing the pros and cons of such a proposal. Her arms were still wrapped around her body, now more of a defensive stance rather than a protective hold.

"Well….why not?" He countered assuredly, beaming his signature idol grin in hopes of persuasion.

Granting, her body language seemed put off by the somewhat forward suggestion; her eyes glistened with curiosity as she bit her lip in consideration.

He prodded in a sing song tone, "It'll be an adventure…_and_ you'll have _fuuuunnnn_."

She returned his grin with quirk of her lips as she decided that she did deserve a pick-me-up to ease her turbulent emotions. _'I could use a distraction…I'm tired of feeling this way…'_she thought and in that second she made her choice. She took his proffered hand, "Well, what's the worst that could happen?"

A full on playful smile found its way across both their faces in an unspoken agreement to make the best of the day and Usagi found herself feeling hopeful for the first time in months.

As they walked away, they were soon engaged in a friendly banter about the best places to go for this adventurous fun; neither one noticing a dark stranger tailing them at every turn…

* * *

**Two weeks later…**

'_What's the worst that could happen?_' she mimicked in her mind as she hugged the base of the toilet, dry heaving the remainder of her breakfast.

"_Kuso!"_ She cursed as her phone rang for the hundredth time that morning. Letting her answering machine catch it as it had the first 99 times, she sighed, leaning against the bathroom wall. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to get up from her welcomed spot in her small bathroom. All of this stress from just being _acquainted_ with one of Japan's top idols was making her sick; she was certain of it! Never mind the bouts of sickness she experienced _before_ meeting the idol – her tired mind barely registered the fact.

'_That damn, Seiya! When he said 'distraction', I hardly thought it would mean fighting off the rumors of an alleged affair with him!'_ A lesser known sleaze magazine published the first photo, which happened to be the day of their first meeting. They had been lucky that most gossip rags hadn't paid attention to the publication due to their history of fabrication as well as the known fact that Seiya Kou had always been a lady-killer. A new pretty face didn't make it newsworthy. However, the tabloid continued to release new pictures of the two friends and within a week, every entertainment tabloid in Tokyo, and even a much respected mainstream publication had her face plastered across the cover under the heading of _'New Love for the Playboy of J-pop?'_ She blanched thinking of the many insinuations that fanned the flame of the rumor mill.

It seems they were trying to build a pretty solid buzz in conjunction with the news of Seiya's solo career. She wondered if he had even seen the tabloids yet. _'It's okay. It'll _all_ be okay…I'll just get him to straighten this all out. All he has to do is just release a statement about the pictures…,'_she mentally reasoned, until a different thought took over.

Her eyes darted madly; furiously trying to place a time when she had even _seen_ a flashing light! She wanted to kick herself for trusting him. They had spent nearly every day in each other's company talking, playing, laughing and tending to a budding friendship. In that time she assumed that he would be just as open with her as she had been with him.

Wrong.

Thinking back, she wondered why she hadn't known he was a pop idol sooner. She should have at least suspected it: he insisted that he pay for everything, he was rarely seen without his sleek, dark shades, and was allowed access to places she'd only dreamt of gaining entrance to before. Like the night he had taken her to an exclusive nightclub in Shibuya- another '_distraction'_ as he called it- he bypassed the line outside and walked them straight into the V.I.P. section. He was greeted happily by nearly every face they had seen. Some people made no qualms about falling over him. She remembered asking him why people were fretting and coddling him like some huge star. He just grinned and said, "They'd fret over you too, if you were as cool as I am."

She rolled her eyes at the memory before her stomach clenched and she found herself dry heaving.

'_What is wrong with me? Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much…'_

The phone rang again. Surprised that her telephone had not yet exploded form the influx of calls, she strained to hear the voice of the caller; resolving to listen to all of her messages just as soon as she got the energy to stand. Nearly thirty minutes passed before she shuffled into her living area to retrieve the missed calls.

_~Tsukino Usagi! This is your father speaking! You come to this phone right this instant! ' _Her father's voice yelled, then suddenly switched to a loud, obscene sob_, 'Oh! My sweet little Usagi! Please tell me you have not become impure!' _His voice changed again, apparently content with yelling_, 'and you'd better not have that boy over ther- __**beep**_

_~Honey…please call home. Your father is about to yell himself into a coronary. Really, Usa you could have talked to us about meeting a boy, instead of us finding out through your father's job. Do you know it took me over three hours to calm him down?' _Her mother scolded gently, but was unable to hide the smile in her tone,_ 'Oh, and I expect full details on how you *really* met this idol…__**beep**_

She rolled her eyes. Her mother seemed to be quite amused that her only daughter was plastered across numerous Tokyo tabloids, though only currently known as the idol's mystery woman. While it came as a small relief that the publications were without her identity, it frustrated her to no end that the paparazzi could go around snapping photos as they pleased, totally disregarding the privacy of ordinary citizens!

She scowled as she took her frustration out by hitting the skip button repeatedly; surely most of those messages were from her irate father anyhow.

"Great. Dad went berserk," she huffed sarcastically, discontented at having to appease the semi-psychotic state her father had been thrown into by the rumors. The shrill ring of the telephone cut off her potential thoughts, as she fought the motion to answer it. Her hand retracted as a second thought, not quite ready to face the music of her crazed father and his infamous accusatory tone. That tone had always made her feel like she had done something wrong even though she was totally innocent!

'_Not entirely innocent,_' she thought as she had yet to tell him of not attending University for the last few months. Her parents would be angry, but surely they had to realize that perhaps it was better this way. After all, she had never been a star student and her interest in higher education had dwindled considerably since-

"No. Not going to think about that," she resolved and in her determination she found the courage to just shut off the ringer. She'd deal with her parents when she got good and ready to.

Well, that and maybe after a long hot shower.

With a firm nod and weak countenance, she trudged to envelop her worries in a cocoon of warmth to ease the recent tension so conveniently placed on her shoulders.

Had she waited a mere second to at least hear the newest message, she would have heard the deep breathing and soft words from her one time lover, Chiba Mamoru.

* * *

_**I hope you all enjoy your holidays! And hey! Why not join me on facebook? The link is on my profile page or you can search using my ff pen name. I'd love to hear from you!**_

_Please review!_

_Hugs and kisses,_

_~*~*~*L.b.D.*~*~*~ _


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